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(No Model.)

E. T. THOMAS & H. L. BREVOORT.

RUPPLER FOR SEWING MACHINES. No. 270,512. Patented Ja.11.9, 1883.

N. PE'rEns Fhclo-Ldhcgr-lphur. Washin ton. D.c.

ruffle.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDDY T. THOMAS, OF NEW YORK, AND HENRY L. BREVOORT, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO THE JOHNSTON RUFFLER COMPANY, OF OTTUMWA,

IOWA.

RU FFLER FOR SEWlNG=IVlACHlNES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,512, dated January 9, 1883.

s Application filed October 10, 188i. (l\'o model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDDY T. THOMAS and HENRY L. BREVOORI, said Ti-roMAs of the city, county, and State of New York, and said 5 BREVOORT of Brooklymin the countyofKings and StateofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ruftling and Shirring Attachments for Sewing-Machines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following to specification.

The invention consists in a modification of iuffliug attachments of the general classillustrated by the well-known Johnston ruflfler, so as to enable the attachment to shirr as well as Shir-ring consists of successive lines of gathering in the parts of the cloth not adjacent to its edges, as distinguished irom ruffling where the gathering is adjacent to the edges of the cloth. WVith the form of ru'ffier which is adapted to be attached to the work-plate or cloth-plate of the machine, and in which the ruftler-blade acts upon the separator-plate attached to the frame of the rnffler, shirt-ing cannot be done, because the cloth cannot be moved 2 5 freely over the work-plate, the support or fastening of the separator and the frame of the ruffler being-in the way.

The present invention relates more particularly to that class of rufilers in which the frame,

0 ruflier-hlade, and operating devices are supported on some part of the machine above the work-plate-the presser-bar, for example--the separator-plate or feed-guard being attached to the'cloth-plate, work-plate, or slide-plate of 5 the machine.

It consists in the improved construction of such feed guard or plate, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of an ordinary Johnston ruftier with the separator removed, in connection with one of our improved feed-guards. Fig. 2 is a section, on line .r .00 of Fig. 4, of the feed-guard and 5 throat-plate; Fig. 3, a section on line w :10 of Fig. 5; Fig. 4, a top view of the feed-guard shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a similar view of the feed-guard shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 a bot- .tom view of Fig. 1.

A is the needlc-plate or work-plate of the machine, to which is attached the feed-guard B.

E is the ruffler, and O the ruffler-blade, which is caused to vibrate in the usual wav through theinstrumentality of the arm D, which is connected to the moving parts of the sewing-machine. I

At F is shown that partof the ruffler E'which is used for securing said ruftler to the presserbar of the machine, and at G is shown the false presser-foot forming part. of the ruftler E.

The feed-guard B, composed of a thin flexible piece of metal, is attached to the 'needleplate, slide-plate, or throat-plate of the machine, and covers a portion of the feed-surface. A surface is thus furnished for the action of the ruffling-blade, while the edge of the blade is protected from the teeth of the feed movement, and the entire cloth or work plate is left clear, so that ruffles can be formed at any distance from the edge of the goods. To give the feed-guard sufficient elasticity to rise and fall with the feed,the said plateis attached by rivets, solder, or otherwise to the needle or cloth plate, and carried back from its point of attachment and bent uponitself.

In Figs. 2 and 4, as well as in Figs. 1 and 6, the feed-guard B is attached at a to the needle or throat plate, and bent upon itself, as described, the upper portion passing behind the needle; but in Figs.2 and 4 the said feed-guard is so constructed and located as to lie entirely within the needle or throat plate. In attaching the feed-guard it is well to let said guard partly into the surface of the needle or throat plate, the-groove formed to allow such insertion being at least as deep as the thickness of the metal used in forming the feed-guard. In Figs. 3 and 5, if the feed-guard is so let in, it must'be sharply bent up for a short distance where it leaves the needle-plate, so asnot to interfere with the insertion of the needle-plate in the sewing-machine. In Figs. 2 and 4 it will be noticed that the under portion of the feed-guard has to be cut away, or, rather, is best made with a hole in it to admit of the feed passing up through it, while the upper portion of the feed-guard is not cut away, except where the needle-hole is formed. In these figures the point of attachment of the feedguard to the throat-plate is shown at a, and the hole for the passage of the needle is shown at c. The free end of the feed-guard should not cover or extend longitudinally over the feed-opening b farther than is necessary to have made in it the needle-hole c, and in width the feed-guard should about correspond with the ruffling blade or knife (3. In the drawings it is shown as somewhat wider than said blade.

In Figs. 1 and 6 the position of the ruflilerblade, rnffler, feed-guard, and needle-plate is shown. The blade 0 of the rufller must act upon the upper surface of the material lying upon thetopor upper surface of the feed-guard, and such blade should not in its forward throw pass beyond the end of the feed-guard, the rnffle being formed between the upper surface of the feed-guard and the bottom of the false presser-foot. The blade should be slotted, as shown atf,-Fig. 6. In Fig. 1 the needle of the sewing-machine is shown at F, and the relation which the blade should bear to the needle hen moved forward its full extentalsoappears.

\Vhen the machine is in operation the bottom of the false presser-foot and the top surface of the feed-guard are separated only by the thickness of the material being rnffled. Vhen the work is introduced or removed the ruffler is lifted with the presser-bar in the ordinary way.

The feed'guard might be attached to the bedplate of the machine instead of to the throatplate, slide-plate, or work-plate; but such construction would be less advantageous than those herein shown and described.

Having now fully described our said invention and the manner of carrying the same into effect, what we claim is-- 1. Thecombiuation,witharuttlingorshirring device supported wholly above the cloth or work plate, of the feed-guard attached to the cloth-plate, throat-plate, or needle-plate of the machine, and rendered elastic or flexible by being bent back upon itself, substantially as described.

2. The detachable throatplate for a sewingmachine, suitably perforated or cut away for the working of the feed-surface, and provided with an elastic feed-guard extending over a portion of the feed-surface, and, consisting of a metal strip bent or doubled upon itself, as indicated, and having its upper end free, substantially as described.

3. As part ofa ruffling or shirring attach ment, the teed-guard described, attached to the throat or needle plate, which is cut away for the passage of the feed, said guard extending from its point of attachment forward over a portion of the feed-surface and then doubling upon itself and passing behind the needle, the lower portion or piece of said guard being perforated or cut away above the feed-surface, substantially as set forth.

E. T. THOMAS. HENRY L. BREVOORT.

Witnesses:

W. E. (JARLILE. JosEPH L. LEVY. 

